ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2025

Katie Boulter

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Katie, welcome back to Roland Garros. Fresh off a title here in Paris, the 125 event. Give us your thoughts on how you're feeling coming into this slam.

KATIE BOULTER: Yeah, I think I'm coming in with a slightly different perspective. I feel like I gained a lot of momentum last week. I personally prefer the balls and the courts here than the rest of the clay swing so I think it suits me more.

Yeah, of course, another opportunity at a slam. I've never won a match here. I think it's a great opportunity to get that going. Yeah, we'll see what happens.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just talk us through the decision process to play last week and how much benefit you feel it's done to you coming in here.

KATIE BOULTER: My decision was actually way at the start of this process. I played Paris 125 last year mainly because back then I wanted to get some matches on the clay courts, irrelevant of how I did in the first couple.

This one I'd already decided that way before. I actually wanted to come back here to play with the balls and to play on the same courts as Paris, obviously Roland Garros. For me, that was my thought process with it.

Obviously I find that Madrid and Rome are very different tournaments, and you have to adapt very quickly. Just like a hard court, there are some weeks that suit you and some that don't. I really don't love both those tournaments.

When I stepped on the courts here last year for the 125, I felt automatically already better. I wanted to give that a go again and see if that gave me a bit more confidence.

Obviously sometimes playing the lower-ranked events are really good, then you can kind of gain a bit of confidence with them. I personally am a bit of a confidence player, so I feel like I need that sometimes.

Yeah, I was very happy to step down and play that tournament. I had no expectations going into it. Obviously I think it helped and it worked.

Q. You mentioned the courts and the balls. Can you give us detail about what it is you actually prefer about them.

KATIE BOULTER: I think without going into any massive specifics in Madrid and Rome, I just think it clicks with my game more. I find I do more damage with the balls here than I do in Rome. Obviously the conditions there are very slow.

The way that I play, I'm trying to be aggressive. I have to do that consistently. I do feel like when I'm not running on a red line and trying to go for everything, I can get away with a few things like shape and a bit more variation with the balls here rather than there. They kind of sit a little bit, especially with my forehand. Yeah, I just find they're easier for me to control and I get more off of it.

Look, again, it's not just the difference of playing with different balls, I think it's just getting more experience on the court.

Q. 12 months ago it was a complete washout for all the Brits. None of them won. Do you see that happening again? Where are we with British players on clay? Have things improved over the last year?

KATIE BOULTER: I feel like we've had a few conversations around the Roland Garros period the last few years. I think people can be quite critical of the Brits around the clay court season right before the grass season.

As you know, it's not our preferred surface. We don't grow up on it. We don't get the chance to play on it that much as a kid. So naturally our game styles don't suit it as much.

I find that the more that I learn how to play on this surface, the better I get. I think the more years that I have personally, and I think also players as well in general on the British side, they'll work it out. They're all smart people. They know what they're doing. It's just a matter of time before it clicks and they start winning a lot more matches on it.

Every year for me is a new year. I find that a lot of people are coming in this year with quite a few wins under their belt, which is great. Yeah, it's another opportunity to show that we can play on the clay and we can adapt and we can get better.

But again, I'm very realistic with it. I'm not expecting massive things. I think that's also something that will help me, as well.

Q. You, Sonay and Emma are tightly bunched in the rankings now. How much of a motivator is it for you to hold on to your British No. 1 status and how much would it hurt if you do lose it in the next few weeks?

KATIE BOULTER: Hmmm... I think it's a good question. I think for me, I've been in this space for a long time now. I've not been here for one week. We've been here two and a half years or whatever it is. I don't even know now. Almost three years, probably something like this.

I feel like I have ticked that goal of being British No. 1. If my ranking is going in the right direction, I'll remain there. If not, great. The other girls are doing really well. I want to see Emma and Sonay and anyone else pushing me in the rankings. I want that because ultimately it means I've got to get my ranking up to hold that spot.

My primary focus is going to be on myself. I take being British No. 1 as a privilege, but at the same time it's not my goal. It's not something that I want to put down on a piece of paper and say that I've been that for 10 years.

It's a privilege to be that, but I want to get my ranking back up to where it was. I think at the end of last year, obviously my career high of like the lower 20s, that's where I want to be, then pushing on from there.

Obviously this year for me has been a little bit different because I've struggled with my foot and I've had quite a few weeks out that I wouldn't have done in the past. Building that momentum back has been difficult for me.

I've been playing with a lot of pain. For me, my focus is on the fact that I'm back here playing five matches last week. I'm very happy that I don't have pain in my foot. I'm back playing some of the best tennis that I've been playing, back to my level where I was at the start of the year in United Cup. For me, that is a huge plus, my only focus going into the next couple of months.

I do want to stress that being British No. 1 is a privilege and I always take that role with, yeah, a lot of happiness. But at the same time it's not my goal.

Q. (Question regarding the Max Purcell case and infusions in general.)

KATIE BOULTER: I think it would be very unfair of me to comment on a case like that because I actually didn't know half that information that you just told me.

Obviously I'm completely for a clean sport, but I really don't know his case specifically. I'm sorry, I can't comment on that.

Q. In general about infusions?

KATIE BOULTER: I really don't know enough. Like, I don't know. Yeah, sorry.